Clamping device for building foundations



Oct. 11, 1932. J. F. LOUCKS CLAMPIfiG DEVICE FOR BUILDING FOUNDATIONS Filed Aug. 11. 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 11, 1932. J, LQUCKS v 1,881,760

CLAMPING DEVICE FOR BUILDING FOUNDATIONS Filed Aug. 11, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 061. 11, 1932. F LO KS 1,881,760

CLAMPING DEVICE FOR BUILDING FOUNDATIONS Filed Aug. 11, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 30 devices to the top of a beam Patented Oct. 11, 1932 warren STATES PATENT OFFICE JAMES F. LOUGKS, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO,

COMPANY, OF DETROIT,

ASSIGNOR T DETROIT STEEL PRODUCTS MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN CLAMPING DEVICE FOR BUILDING FOUNDATIONS Application filed August 11, 1930. Serial No. 474,498.

in the patent granted jointly to Harry Gril-' lett and myself on February 3, 1926, No.

It is the general purpose and object of the invention to provide a clamping device which is simple in construction and economical of product-ion; which is adapted for ready and convenient application to the ribs of such sheet metal foundations; and which will effectively support such foundations from the beams or purlins.

' I realize the foregoing objects, and other.

- and more limited ob ects wh ch will appear hereinafter, in and through the construction and arrangement of parts shown in the drawings, wherein Fig. 1 represents a detail in transverse section through one form of sheet metal foundation showing the manner in which such foundation is clamped or applied to a beam or purlin by means of my clamping devices; Fig. 2 is a detailin plan showing the manner of applying one of my clamping or purlin; Fig. 3 a detail in transverse section showing the positions of the bottom of a rib and of the clamping device prior to the final clamping operation; Fig. 4 isa view, similar to Fig. 3, showing the clamping device in its final clamping position with reference to a rib; Fig. 5 a detail in section through an I-beam and the sheet metal foundation thereon, showing the manner in which the latter is secured to said beam by one of my devices; 6 a

perspective view showing one of my devices prior to its application to a beam or purlin; and Fig. 7 a plan view of the blank from which one of my clamping devices is formed. Figures 8, 9 and 10 are views similar respectively to Figures 5, 6 and 7 showing a modified construction.

Describing by reference characters the parts shown herein, 1 denotes a flat metal sheet from Which the foundation is formed,

the sheet being provided with hollow triangular ribs projecting from one side thereof, the sides of the ribs being indicated at 2 and the bottoms at 3, there being slots 4 between tile tops of the ribs and the body of themetal 5 sleet.

5 denotes the web and 6 the flanges of beam on which the sheet metal foundation is supported. The beam may be of any of the usual commercial shapes, the one shown herein being an I-beam. For the purpose of securing the foundation, either to an I-beam such as shown or to an angle beam, I provide a sheet metal clamp having a base 'i' adapted to rest on top of a beam, the said base being provided intermediate of its ends with upwardly extending sides 8 and 9, each side having an inwardly directed flange 8 9*, respectively, at the top thereof. The side 9 is longer than the side 8, being provided 7 with a forwardly extending portion 9 which is not provided with a top flange, the flanges 8 and 9 being preferably co-extensive in length. The base is provided with a central longitudinal upwardly extending arch 10 pressed therefrom, said arch being shown as extending forwardly approximately to the front end of the side 8 and the flanged portion of the side 9. The base is extended rearwardly beyond the sides 8 and 9, as shown at? and is provided with a central slot 7* extending rearwardly from the end of the rib 10.

It is intendedthat the fastening device shall be applied to the narrow edge of a beam by means of a hook, and the hook shown herein forms an extension of a side member 11 which projects upwardly from the forward end of the base 7. The manner in which the hook is formed, as well as the other parts of the clamping device, will be explained in connection with Fig. 7, which shows the blank from which one of such devices is formed. The blank, indicated at A, is given an appropriate shape whereby on bending on the broken lines A the sides 9, 9 and 8 and 11 will be formed while, by further bending on the lines A the flanges 8 and 9 will be formed. By cutting on the lines B, B and B prior to the bending operation and r .Wiihith pe seenstr eile d a'sh lines in Fig. a

so: i g devices r g r scribed' and 'attthe' proper distances 'apartto V i 50 straightening or fl some th immediate the side member 9 issubstantially at right 15 ang es tefleplane.afthebe a i 5 1 arranged TiPlied-to ther'espe t ve b b o l frontg nd'gf ea hdevimar l h flange ot such beam, in the manner shown, after bending operation being shown in dot-and- The over-all, width fof the base ioi'ti each 'clamping device is equal, or substantially qu'alyto the width of the base 3? of the rib v .which'itreceives, Having applied the clampto the beams in the manner: de-

receivetherein the ribsfthe ribs are inserted intotheir respective" lampihg devices'in the manner shownin-Fign3: A suitableto ol, in-

dicated by dot-and-dash lines at 18, is in -"troduced intoeachslotjel, with the beam; of thetool engaging the bottom'of the rib above 3- the'center of the arch or rib provided in the jlgbo'ttom of the clainp By hammering or oth- 40 erwisfi ti rlownward pressure through theto'olflupon the bottomof the rib and ill athe; arch lO, the base o'ftheclamp will be straightened, as shown'in Fig. 4 and, becauser *ot'the angles which the sidemembersB and 4.5" 9 'make'with theportionof the base adjacent 1thereto, the flanges 85*;and-9 will be forced into engagement withpreferably with such force as to slightly indent such sides,,, as' shown at 2?. 5 This ttening of the arch also results in movingthe topofthe side inember 9 inwardly a sufficient distance to xma'ke the saidmember assume a position substantially vertical to the base.

55.- ;-;-Th e construction, shown and: described 1 .hereiniprovides a cheap, but extremely strong i--hook, due to the width of the'web formed by the parts 11, 12 and 14. Furthermore, the -"vertical web formed by the side member 9' rear of the slot produced 1 at"; the forwardend of'the base informing thehook-12' forms a, reinforcement for the up forward end-0f the clamping device, thereby V contributing to-the strength of thesame. 6 The deflection of the lower end portion "12 "B? and B curing to a beam the" sides 2 otthe-rib,

curing to a beam of the hook toward the longitudinal center of the clamp prevents the clamp from tipping toward the side from which the hook projects when the clamp is applied to and I driven upon the beam. The modified construction shown'in Fig ures ,8, 9 and 10 is similarto that already described, with the exception that two hooks 11 and 11 areformed onfopposite sides of the blank A, being severed from 'theportions 8 and 9 'by shearing" along the lines Theblank is folded or bent along the lines C and C similar to the bend along the lines A and A in Figure 7, and the structure in its normal form is shown in Figure 9; The securing "of thismember to the supporting beam and the engagement and securing of 'the'ribbed'plate'thereto is the same as that previously "described but because of the pair ot'hooks 11 and ll 'upon opposite sides; an' additional element of security' is provided.

Having thus described my invention what "I claim is: a

1. A sheet metal clamping devicefor securing to a beam. a sheet having a rib projecting therefrom, saidclamping device havfing means whereby it"may beapplied'to a beam and being provided with a base havinganupwardly projecting portion and with upwardly pro ecti'ng sidesextending from such base and each having'an' inwardlyproj eating flange at itstop adapted to engage a side of the rib when the upwardly projecting ened out or flattened down. a 2. A sheet metal cl 'mping device for sea sheet "having a rib projecting therefrom, said clamping device having means whereby it may be applied to a beam and being provided witha base havportion of the base shall have been straight ing an upwardly projecting portion and with upwardly" projecting sides extending from such base and each havingaprojection extending inwardly therefrom and adapted to engage asideof the rib when the upwardly projecting portion ofthe base shall have been straightened out or flattened down.

3. A sheet metal clamping deviceIfor seportion of the base and the projectionswill e be-moved into engagement 7 with opposite sides of such rib.

l. A sheet metal clamping device for securing to abeam a sheet having a rib projecting therefrom, the said'cl'amping device coma, sheet "having a rib pro 'jecting theretromy'the said clamping-device prising a base adapted to rest upon a beam and having sides adapted to engage the opposite sides of such rib, the said device having a hook adapted to engage the edge of such beam, the said hook comprising a vertical web extending longitudinally of said device and from one side of the said base, and ahook proper below said base and connected to the said web by a vertically extending web, the body of the hook being deflected rearwardly and toward the side of the base which is opposite the first mentioned web and having its rear end adjacent to the longitudinal cen ter of such base.

5. A sheet metal clamping device for securing to a beam asheet having a rib projecting therefrom, the said clamping device comprising a base adapted to rest upon a beam and having sides adapted to engage the opposite sides of such rib, the said device having a hook adapted to engage the edge of such beam, the said hook comprising a vertical web extending longitudinally of the said base, and a hook proper below said base and connected to the said web by a vertically extending web.

6. A sheet metal clamping device for securing to a beam a sheet having a rib projecting therefrom, the said clamping device comprising a base adapted to rest upon a,

beam and having sides adapted to engage the opposite sides of such rib, the said device having a hook adapted to engage the edge of such beam, the said hook comprising a web extending upwardly from one side of the said base and a hook proper below said base and connected to the said web by a vertically extending web, the body of the hook being deflected rearwardly and toward the side of the base which is opposite the first mentioned web and the forward end of the opposite side of said base being provided with a web projecting upwardly therefrom.

7. A clamping device for the purpose described comprising a sheet metal blank fashioned to form a central portion, side portions and opposite end portions, one of said end portions being sheared to form a return bent hook and being bent into a plane extending at right angles to the plane of the blank, said central portion being arched upward and 7 said side portions being bent to extend upward at an obtuse angle to the original plane of the blank but at a smaller angle to said arched central portion and having inwardly 7 extending flanges at their upper ends whereby said hooked portion and opposite end portion are adapted to engage the supporting beam for securing thereto and the flattening down of said arched portion will draw said side portions inward to embrace and clamp the member engaged therewith.

8. A sheet metal clamping device for securing to a beam a sheet having a rib projecting therefrom, the said device comprising a base having a longitudinally extending up- .wardly arched portion and sides extending upwardly and outwardly from such arched portion of the base, each side having an inwa-rdly extending projection, the sides and projections being so arranged that the sides will be forced inwardly by straightening or flattening down the arched portion of the base and the projections will be moved into engagement with opposite sides of such rib, the said device being provided at one end thereof with hooks projecting downwardly from opposite sidesof such end and the end of the base which is opposite the hooks extending beyond the sides and adapted to be bent into engagement with the opposite edge wardly extending projection, the sides and projections being so arranged that the sides will be forced inwardly by straightening or flattening down the arched portion of the base and the projections will be moved into engagement with opposite sides of such rib, the :said device being provided at one end thereof with hooks projecting downwardly from opposite sides of such end and the end of the base which is opposite, the hooks extending beyond the sides and adapted to be bent into engagement with the opposite edge of such, beam.

10. A sheet metal clamping device for securing to a beam a sheet having a rib projecting therefrom, the said device comprising a base having a longitudinally extending upwardly arched portion and sides extending upwardly and outwardly from such arched portion of the base, each side having an inwardly extending projection, the sides and projections being so arranged that the sides will be forced inwardly by straightening or flattening down the arched portion of the base that the projections will be moved into engagement with opposite sides of such rib,

the said device being provided with forward extensions of such sides and having hooks projecting downwardly from opposite edges of such base adjacent the front ends of such extensions and adapted to engage one edge of a beam, the rear end of the base extending beyond the sides and being adapted to be bent into engagement with the opposite edge of such beam.

11. A sheet metal clamping device for securing to a beam a sheet having ribs projecting therefrom, the said clamping device comprising a base having a centrally longitudi nally extending upwardly arched portion and sides bent from such base and extending up- 

